Thresher with suction and blast fans mounted in housing



I March 18, 1952 H. SHARPE THRESHER WITH SUCTION AND BLAST FANS MOUNTED IN HOUSING 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 21, 1946 INVENTOR EJflSbarpe ATTORNEYS March 18, 1952 Y R. H. SHARPE THRESHER WITH SUCTION AND BLAST FANS MOUNTED IN HOUSING Filed Aug. 21, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR i RES/2505a ATTORNEYS March 18, 1952 R. H. SHARPE 2,589,440

THRESHER WITH SUCTION AND BLAST FANS MOUNTED IN HOUSING Filed Aug. 21, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 18, 1952 THRESHER lWITH ,SUCTIGN AND BLAST FANS MOUNTED INJHOUSING RobertfH;.:Sharpe, Stockton, Calif.

Application AugustlZl, 1946g'Seria'l No. 692,032

(01. Bil -27),

Z CIaims.

1 This invention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, a self-propelled combined harvester especially designed for the harvesting of rice, although obviously adaptable for use on other" types of grain crops. 5 nection with a turntable 5 supported by bear Another object of the invention is to provide ings 6. The turntable 5 includes a ring gear 1' a harvester which includes a 'novel threshing driven through the medium of a pinion 8 by an and separating assembly whereby highly effeceleotric'motor 9 mounted in connection with the tive separation of thegrain and chaff is 'accomstationary portion of the turntable. The electric plished. 10 motor 9 is energized by an engine-driven gen- A-further-object of'the'invention is to provide erator and supp-1y circuit (not shown). It will aharvester, as in the preceding paragraph, in be seen, however, that upon actuation of the which-said'assemblyembodies, in uniqueassemelectric motor 9, which is of reversible type, that bly, a plurality of 'threshing'cylinder unitastaged the crawler track unit 5 will be effectively steered, separator screens, endless separator conveyors, with consequent steering of the implement. and powerdriven-blowers. The implement is fitted, at its forward end, An additional object of'theinvention is to 'prowith a forwardly projecting, floatably mounted vide a harvester including a novel arrangement harvesting unit, indicated generally at), which of grain receiving bins, and a common feed harvesting unit includes a driven pick-upreel H leading 'from said bins operative to deliver the carried in a supporting frame 52. The harvestgrain from the bins to a-transport vehicle alonging unit also includes a transversely ex en i side theharvester. sickle bar l3 working along the ground below A further object of the invention is to'provide nd in coop r iv r l n h p to t pi p a-practical harvesting implement, and one which reel i l. Rearwardly of the sickle bar l3 the will be exceedingly eilectivejor the purpose for harv stin unit t i ludes a tr v rs y which it is designed. tending rotary paddle-type feeder it including a These objects are'accomplished by means of drivencenter shaft I5. The harvesting unit-Ill suchstructure-and relative arrangement of parts is coun e balanced by a heavy-du y tension aswill fully appear bya perusal of the following spring it which works in connection with a radial specification-and claims. arm I? fixed relative to the upper and pivoted In the drawings: end portion of said-harvesting unit. 'Ihepick-up Fig. 1 is a side elevationof theharvester. reel H, sickle bar. 8.3,: and rotaryfeeder :14, are Fig.2 i an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal driven from the engine 3 by connections, shown sectional elevation illustrating particularly the -part at-i8. Fromthe fioatably mounted harthreshing and separating chamber, and-the WOlk- 5 vesting unit 59 the Cut grain is fed y t e ing partstherein. feeder. M into an endless bottom feed conveyor Fig, 31 cros cti on line 3 3 of Hg 2 59, which Works incooperation withflanupwardly Fi 4 is a fragmentary cross section aniline inclined. conveyor trough .29. The endless: botl-4 of'Fis. 1. tom feedconveyor l9 delivers through a 'hori- Fi 5 i a fragmentary crossrtsectinn on line 40 zontal transverse throat 2i, defined at the :top 55'of Fig. 2. by a' deflector'roller 22, into theforward'end of Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal threshing and Separating Chamber which is Section showing the conveying arrangement formed by a longitudinally elongatedhousing 23, tween th harvesting t and'theifor ardend of carried by the main frame I and extending for th 'thr hi and Separating chamber substantially the full length of the latter.v

Referringnowmore particularly to the char The housing .23 includes a tollplate Si actersiofrreferencesonthe drawings, theharvester Plates 25, and albottom formed aS'VfOHOWSI comprises an elongated mainv frame, indicated The bottom of therhousing i. 'e-the:bottom generally-at] said main frame being supported, 0f the threshing and p at n chamben comadjacent its forward end by'means of pair prises a pair of transverse valleys2szand2i the of transversely-spaced, driven.crawleritrackzunits, indidated generally at 2. The crawler track unitsare'drivenfrom' an engine amounted on theframe at its.;forward end; the driving connections betweenttheengine'jti and.- crawlertrack ;units 2w;being;;of nanyasuitableitypa. l

Adjacent but short of its rear end the main frame l is supported by a steerably mounted idler'crawlertrack unit, indicated generally at 4.

The crawler track unit 4 is mounted in con-- valley 26 being disposed at thehead of the housing123, While the valley 2'! is directly-rearwardly thereof. The rear. portion of the bottom of the housing 23 comprises a flat table "28 disposed in lapping, vertically spaced relation. above, and

projecting from, :the rear. edge, portiontoiiv :th-ep valley 21, whereby to form a rearwardly opening exhaust port 29 between said rear edge of the valley 21 and the forward portion of said table. The table 28 terminates, at its rear edge, short of the rear end of thehousing 23, the latter including a down spout 30 rearwardly of said table.

An air intake opening 3| is formed in the front of the housing 23 above the forward edge of the valley 26, and the rear edge of said valley and the forward edge of the valley 21 are vertically spaced, as shown, to form another air intake opening 32; the air intake openings 3| and 32 extending transversely between the side plates 25.

A pair of transversely extending, longitudinally spaced threshing cylinders 33 and 34 are journaled in the housing 23 between the side plates 25 adjacent the forward end, and the top, of said housing. The threshing cylinders 33 and 34 are fixed on driven cross shafts 35 and 36, respectively; each of said threshing cylinders including a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially outwardly projecting, threshing ribs 31 of resilient material, such as rubber. The threshing cylinders 33 and 34 are of open construction, as shown in Fig. 3, and include heads 38 connected by circumferentially spaced bars 39; the resilient threshing ribs 31 being fixed on the bars 39.

The threshing cylinders 33 and 34 work in cooperation with substantially semi-circular, upwardly opening concaves 49 and 4|, the concaves merging at adjacent ends, as shown, and each comprising a plurality of arcuate, spaced-apart rods 42.

Rotary feeders 43 and 44 extend transversely in the housing 23 to the rear of the threshing cylinders 33 and 34; said feeders being driven in the directions indicated, and serving to feed material rearwardly from each concave as said material reaches the end of the latter.

The cut grain as fed through the throat 2| by the endless bottom feeder conveyor I9 is passed first through the concave 48 by the threshing cylinder 33; is thence delivered by the rotary feeder 43 into the concave 4|; and is thence passed through the concave 4| by the threshing cylinder 34. A substantial amount of the grain is threshed by the cylinders 33 and 34, falling through the concaves 49 and 4| for subsequent processing, as hereinafter described.

From the rear or discharge end of the concave 4| the material passing through the threshing and separating chamber is fed by the rotary feeder 44 rearwardly, whence such material falls onto the lead one of a plurality of upwardly and rearwardly inclined endless separator conveyors 45; said conveyors being driven in the direction indicated, and set to deliver one to the other. In the present instance a pair of said conveyors 45 is illustrated. A bafiie 46 assures that material from the feeder 44 falls directly onto the lower end portion of the lead one of the conveyors 45.

The rearmost one of the endless separator conveyors 45 discharges onto a horizontal endless separator conveyor 46, which in turn discharges into the down spout 36.

.The endless separator conveyors 45 and 46 are of perforate or cleated type so that grain which is free of the chaff may fall through said conveyors onto the table 28. The endless separator conveyors 45 and 46 are unique in their construction, which produces an up and down reciprocation or shaking of the conveyors upon travel thereof, assuring of complete separation of grain the down spout 39, while the grain falls onto the table 28 for further processing, as will hereinafter appear. The conveyors 45 and 46 accomplish such up and down shaking motion by reason of the fact that each such conveyor includes eccentric pulleys 41 symmetrically disposed on end cross shafts 48, so that upon driving of said shafts symmetrical eccentric movement of the pulleys 41 is produced simultaneously with advancing of the conveyor.

To facilitate the exit of chaff out of the housing 23 and from the separating conveyors 45 and 46, a transverse bank of suction fan units 49 is mounted in said housing directly above the endless separator conveyor 46; each of such suction fan units including a multiple fan 50 on a longitudinal shaft 5|, driven by an electric motor 52. A similar bank of motor-driven, suction fan units 53, but of single fan type, is mounted in the exhaust port 29. A bank of motor-driven blowers 54 is mounted in the air intake opening 3|. As indicated by the arrows, the fan units 49 and 53 discharge rearwardly, whereby to create suction in the threshing and separating chamber, while the bank of blowers 54 delivers air under pressure, i. e. a rearward air flow through said chamber from its open forward end.

A plurality of rearwardly staged, i. e. rearwardly and downwardly stepped, separator screens, indicated at 55, 56, 51, 58, and 59, are mounted in the housing 23; said separator screens extending horizontally and transversely between the side plates 25, and being of substantial width lengthwise of the implement. The separator screens are disposed so that the separator screens 55, 56, and 51 are above the valley 26 and are arranged in lapping relation one to the other, as shown. The separator screens 58 and 59 are above the valley 21, and are likewise lapped, as shown. Grain as threshed by the threshing cylinders 33 and 34, and which falls through the concaves 40 and 4|, is received by the separator screens and passes therethrough to the valleys 26 and 21; any chaff which may accompany such grain being retarded by the separator screens and carried rearwardly thereof to pass out of the exhaust port 29, under the influence of the air stream flowing across said separator screens between the bank of blowers 54 and the bank of suction fan units 53.

The grain which drops downwardly from the endless separator conveyors 45 and 4 6 falls, as previously indicated, onto the table 28, whence it is swept forwardly by a cleat-type, endless, bottom feed conveyor 60 workin in cooperation with said table. In this manner grain from the table 28 is fed off the feed edge of said table, and falls downwardly through the separator screen 58 or 59 into the valley 21.

The transverse valleys 26 and 21 are formed, at the bottom thereof, with transverse troughs 6| and 62, respectively. A transversely extending auger conveyor 63 runs in the trough 6|, while a similar conveyor 64 runs in the trough 62. The auger conveyor 63 is double-ended, i. e. one-half feeds in one direction and the other half feeds in the opposite direction, as clearly shown in Fig. 5; said opposite end portions of the auger conveyor 63 being separated by a divider plate 65.

The auger conveyor 63 feeds the separated grain from the transverse valley 26 in opposite directions into impellers 66, which in turn deliver the grain through ducts 61 leading to and discharging into V-bottomed bins 68 mounted on opposite sides of the housing 23 adjacent the forward end thereof. The grain 9 delivered into the bins 68 is received at the bottom thereof by a common, cross conveyor 69 of auger type. The cross conveyor 69 feeds the grain from the bottoms of the bins 68 laterally of the implement into the lower end of an upwardly and outwardly inclined elevator conveyor 10, likewise of auger type. At its upper end the conveyor I0 delivers into a discharge spout H. The spout H is adapted to discharge into a grain receiving body of a vehicle (not shown) alongside the harvester.

The grain as received in the transverse valley 21 is fed by the auger conveyor 64 laterally of the implement to an impeller 12 at one end of said auger conveyor 64; said impeller 12 in turn feeding the grain through a duct 13 which extends to, and discharges into, the throat 2| for repassage through the threshing and separating chamber. The reason for this repassage of the grain from valley 2'! is that said latter valley receives grain which is not wholly free of chaff.

The various rotary parts of the implement within the threshing and separating chamber, together with the several auger conveyors, are driven from exteriorly of the housing 23 by suitable and generally conventional driving connections, as illustrated.

With the above described harvester grain, such as rice, can be harvested readily, effectively, and in a practical and economical manner; the separated grain being clean and free of chaff.

As the harvester is self-propelled, it requires no separate tractor for use therewith; the operators station and his controls being positioned at any convenient point, but here eliminatedfor the purpose of avoiding unnecessary disclosure, as no claim is made thereto.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A threshing and separatin assembly comprising an elongated housing, the bottom of which includes two longitudinally spaced valleys extending transversely of the housing and each valley terminating at its bottom in a transverse trough, a conveyor in each trough, a grated concave and threshin cylinder unit disposed in a plane above and in spaced relation to each of the valleys, the ends of the housing being freely open for their full width between the side walls of the housing whereby to form a continuous open passage from end to end of the housing between the valleys and units, and means disposed along the width of the opening in the front end of the housin for direoting a blast of air through said passage, there being an intermediate opening formed in the bottom of the housing between the valleys and extending for the full width between the side walls of the housing and opening into the housing in a direction toward the opening in the rear end of said housing, and air suction means disposed along said rear end opening.

2. An assembly as in claim 1, including an open slot conveyor disposed to the rear of the concave and threshing units in a position to receive threshed material from the rear end of the rearmost unit, a table below said conveyor, the forward end of the table overhanging the rearmost valley and terminating at a point in a vertical plane intermediate those in which lie the rear end opening and the intermediate opening, and a drag conveyor movable over the table and effective to move material off the forward end of said table.

' ROBERT H. SHARPE.

REFERENCES crrEn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 189,545 Ballard et al Apr. 17, 1877 482,494 Anderson Sept. 13, 1892 596,573 Chatterton Jan. 4, 1898 629,758 Abell Aug. 1, 1899 666,244 Galland Jan. 15, 1901 756,728 Stewart Apr. 5, 1904 762,639 Kramer June 14, 1904 769,948 Kramer Sept. 13, 1904 796,117 Dunkelberger Aug. 1, 1905 826,988 Bradbury July 24, 1906 895,153 Boyer Aug. 4, 1908 939,449 Silver Nov. 9, 1909 1,007,522 Branch Oct. 31, 1911 1,009,971 I-Iystad Nov. 28, 1911 1,082,191 George Dec. 23, 1913 1,172,011 Cooper Feb. 15, 1916 1,342,806 Gross June 8, 1920 1,625,953 Lundquist Apr. 26, 1927 2,036,239 Suwalkowski Apr. 7, 1936 2,262,453 Dray Nov. 11, 1941 2,266,805 Ronning Dec. 23, 1941 2,292,650 Oehler et al Aug. 11, 1942 

